Markus Vogel | Established Campground

We spent one night here, we were originally planning to spend 3. The location is great, right on the lake. They have a fantastic dock with a kitchen, bathrooms, shower and hang out area. It was really hot and humid (March) and they are building a house right in the middle of the property so there is construction noise all day...so we set out in search of somewhere cooler and quiter. YouTube Chris and Tovah's Amazing Adventures https://youtube.com/@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures?si=RPavzqZsW6dYRFiP

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Nice place with a beautiful pontoon and access to the lake. You can park on a grassy area with shadows. But the entrance of very narrow and throw a steep access! I have a truck camper and I was not confortable maneuvering here, so I would not recommend big rigs.
Very friendly hosts and pet friendly.
If you want to refill your water tank it is only with water that comes from the lake…
100Q for 2 and a truck camper.

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Good spot to camp for a couple days on the drive between Tikal and Antigua.

- Getting there: Follow Google Maps to the bottom of the steep (paved) road all the way to the water and it will be the solid gate on your left. 

- Price: We paid 100 Q for two people camping in an SUV with roof tent.

- Showers: They now have an electric shower head so the water is very warm. If the water doesn't run in the sink just plug in the water pump that's on the other side of the wall from the shower.

- Bathroom: Flush toilet and Mario even provided toilet paper. Same water pump as the shower, see above.

- WiFi: The signal was on and off; sometimes we got 15 mbps download speed and other times was 3 mbps or even 0 at times.

- Other things to note: The people staying here were all friendly; both Mario and Fidelina were helpful when we had questions. They do have a dog and he's friendly. There is a really nice hangout spot at the end of the dock with electricity and a couple places to put up a hammock.

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we came here with our 24‘ RV, 2,60m wide and it was no problem. The Place is also big enough to turn .
the Lakehouse is really nice and comfortable . Also the swim in the lake is beautiful.
We Payed 100 Q per night (two people)

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Very welcoming place directly at the lake. Amazing sunsets, Markus took us once with his boat to the castel San Castillo. Thank you for everything!Big palapa with living room. Good place to visit Rio Dulce and Livingstone. Stayed 4 nights.

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We spent 2 nights in this beautiful place and especially enjoyed the quiet evenings in the lake house! Mario and his children are super nice, helpful and always ready for a conversation. Unfortunately it had rained a lot the two weeks before, and we were lucky that the one spot that wasn't under water was still free!
We paid 100Q per night for 2 people and our van.

IG: compasschronicle

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Beautiful place! Would stay longer if there were not roadblocks in Guatemala that time. We spent almost the whole time talking to Mario and his children, they were really curious about everything and very happy about new informations.
The only thing I would recommend, make sure everyone is sure about the payment. We paid when we came, the next day Mario was upset and didn't remember and wanted us to pay again, strange situation. He was ok then, but still a bit upset and hoping we are fair.
We are really grateful for spending the time there though!
Recommend ))

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Wonderful little spot to camp. The little lake house on the dock is perfect for a morning coffee and a cool breeze throughout the day.

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Nice atmosphere, but not suitable for big rigs. It is a forested Garden and anything bigger than vans can find impossible to manouver.

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stayed here for 2 nights. the best place on the lake! 100 q for 2 people with a van and a bit electricity. wifi only works the first evening, for free. we met Mario and family, very friendly with a great hospitality. we buy a fish from Mario in the morning. highly recommended.

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Beautiful couple of days! Perfect spot for take a rest from traveling and „just be“
100 Q per rig under the trees- awesome lake house with a front row view to sit there and catch the sunset or jump in the water
Markus has a mechanic shop in Guatemala City if you have any „not so serious“ issues he is the perfect guy
(We don’t know WHO hastagvanlife left his dog here for Mario >> „bc it is complicated to travel with him“ explanation ?! <

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Just stay and enjoy with markus and everybody working there. Great place in the lake, relax and live

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If you are not sure whre to stsy on lake Izabal, stay here!
It’s sooo beautiful❤️

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Mario and his family are very nice. he looks after the place. The boathouse is beautiful to relax in. There is a cold shower , a toilet and wifi. The road to the site is very narrow and steep. We have a width of 2,5 metres and got through just fine.

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This was a fantastic find, safe gated, boathouse Directly on the lake with reliable WiFi, shower and electricity at the boathouse. Really great for dogs and kids. Our kids played with Mario's (caretaker) kids all day, a much needed break for parents.

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Such a beautiful place, one of our best we had so far!
100Q per night (we had the wifi included in the price and worked quite ok)
One toilet and one cold shower on the lake
The road is quite steep and quite narrow. We made it with our truck camper but a bigger truck might not fit unfortunately
Was so nice to relax on the big couch outside on the lake house after a nice swim in the lake
IG: on.vagabonde

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a beautiful place with a very nice jetty and boathouse. 100 Q for 2 in a van. Unfortunately, electricity and wifi cost extra. shower was cold.
Unfortunately, even Mario couldn't fix it. Were 3 nights here.. Attention: When it rains a lot, the place is very muddy and the 100m street is steep and very slippery when wet, so we had to stay a 3rd night until it became more dry.

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Nice place to stay and relax or swim in the lake. Paid 100Q per night, 2 persons and a van. Nice boathouse you can sit and chill at and very friendly owner Marcus who was there wen we visited and worker Mario. Texted Marcus prior to our stay.

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Little paradise at the lake, stayed for 2 nights, 100 q for 2 in camper + 40 for electricity the first night, 100 + 20 the second night. Just beware of the coco palms on the first camp site when you come in, along the boat house - nothing happened to us but you never know when a coconut decides to fall down. Nice dock, for sitting, swimming, you can hang your hammock. Hot shower. Mario organized a private boat to Livingston, 1.000 for the boat for a day. Park of Castillo San Felipe de Lara within walking distance and they have a swimming pool included in the price!

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I called Markus as suggested and he wanted 100Q per night for a tent, kind of rude I didn't like the tone he was talking to me, very bad experience I didn't stay

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Beautiful and relaxing place. The owner and the workers are very friendly. Super recommend. We paid 100q per night.

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Really beautiful spot on the lake, best value for money around. WC & shower are great and clean! They did still have us call Markus when we arrived, so best to call beforehand. Lots of biting ants on the grass, but stick to the dock instead to hang out and you’ll be fine! Watch where you park in regards to the falling coconuts.

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We are enjoying this place since 4 days and leave in 2 days.
We are lucky that Markus is spendind this week with us. We were till 6 campers family, very nice atmosphere, nice people, nice view.
Perfect place, we love it.
Mario will be here to welcome you, no worries 😉

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Stayed here for 3 nights. Great place to stay! Clean, quiet, green, lots of shade. Friendly people. You dont have to send a whatsapp first. Just drive up to the closed gate and knock or yell.

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Had a delightful two-night stay, though it rained unseasonably for much of it. Parking is on grass that can get very soggy in the rain, but we didn’t have much standing water fortunately. The big highlight is the open building on the lake, which has beautiful, large seating areas, a kitchen, bathroom, and shower. We didn’t use the shower. Can’t express how beautiful the lake view is, in the morning especially. Such a place of peace. We had the good fortune of meeting Markus on one of his trips in from Guatemala City, as well as one of his brothers and their family friends. We were welcomed like long-time friends, and even got to participate in a boat trip to a restaurant. While this won’t happen to every guest, from conversations with others, it seems like special things regularly happen here. Mario, the groundskeeper, was so lovely. And our five year old Caspian became good friends with Mario’s son. We’re thankful for our time here. (Also, the castle is well worth a visit.)

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40Q pp/night, Wi-Fi extra. Really nice spot as previously described - lots of mosquitoes and biting ants though!

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This place is amazing. Mario and his family (the caretakers of the place) are awesome. It was his wife's birthday when we were there, and they invited us to all their festivities, and gave us enough home cooked food to leave us full until the next morning. Also they have all the amenities you could need. They charge $5USD a person per night for showers, a clean bathroom, outlets and tables to work at, a dock with swimming access, and a killer view. As everyone says, this place is quite literally an overlanding dream. (Only gripe is that wifi is $8 extra per day for some reason. I'm guessing they have some sort of data plan and only turn it on when needed. We obviously didn't want it THAT badly, but keep it in mind.)

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Totally recommend this beautiful slice of paradise, even in the rain! Mario and his family were just wonderful. Our two year old gained three new siblings :-) We also had the privilege of meeting Markus the owner who took us out on special boat trips and to the aguas calientes further up the lake. He seems to like picking up travellers wherever he goes, so lots of other backpackers come over for a drink on his stunning pier. We spent 15 days here. There are lots of small tiendas nearby and we walked up to the nearby castle, which is very cool! The boat tour we also arranged picked us up from our pier and took us to Rio Dulce, Livingston, Playa Blanca and some hot pools. (His name is Antonio Bessreres- WhatsApp 57374226) So much to do around here (don’t forget swimming too) and with just 80 Q (40 extra for electricity) for a family of three…you can’t go wrong! Our camper is very tall, no problems parking but not really suitable for long, wide RVs.

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We were at Markus for 5 days. We were very warmly welcomed by Mario.
For us one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala to be with the camper.
There is fresh water, electricity and wifi.
We paid 40Q's PP and 50Q's for electricity per day.
Mario's family which is on site most of the time is absolutely warm and helpful in every way.
Absolute recommendation from our side.

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We were at Markus for 5 days. We were very warmly welcomed by Mario, Markus local worker.
For us one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala to be with the camper.
There is fresh water, electricity and wifi.
We paid 40Q's PP and 50Q's for electricity per day.
Mario's family which is on site most of the time is absolutely warm and helpful in every way.
Absolute recommendation from our side.

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Stayed here two nights. Called Markus on WhatsApp. Good wifi, good showers, nice place to stay. Us$5 per person per night.
Beautiful jetty , you can swim here.

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5 dollar pp. Very fliendly Peoples. Quiet and save place.
The Pier very beautiful and confortable.

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How to describe a place which has become our second home? We stayed there 3 1/2 months since we stucked in Guatemala because of the Corona Virus... unfortunately we never met Markus personally but he did all efforts to make our stay as comfortable as possible. We were allowed to use the kitchen, shower and toilet at the boathouse / pier, put up out hammocks and made it out living room. We've become friends with Mario and his lovely family living at the property and just spend a wonderful time there... we cannot think about a place where we would've stayed better in this complicated times. People in San Felipe are very nice and welcoming, there are a bunch of tiendas where you get the little everyday needs and it's close to Rio Dulce, where you can walk, take a boat or drive in five minutes. Sunsets are amazing and it's the perfect place to relax and swim, visit Livingston or have some fun at the lake! We know we are not really objective here, but we love the place and will visit "our" family and home!!!

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Magnifique endroit. Terrasse privée donnant sur le lac. Feeling d'être chez l'habitant, on aime ou pas. N'oubliez pas de texter ou d'aviser Marcus avant d'arriver. Nous ne l'avons pas rencontré, mais Mario (le gardien) et sa famille y demeurent.
75Q per night. 30Q ( 2 nights) for electricity.

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We arrived without prior notice and Markus was not here so we called him from Marios phone. He first asked for 10 USD but after telling him we were not gonna use his kitchen/shower/bathroom and some convincing he let us stay for free. The place is incredible, the sunrise in the house on the jetty was stunning!

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As described before, you need to call Markus to set up the rules.
We got welcome like family members. Spend a beautiful weekend at his place. He let us camp under a roof.
If his home for the weekend bring your camping tents because the cabañas might be used by the family.
Afterwards he helped us to fix our motorcycles at his mechanic shop in Guatemala.
An overlander dream.

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We TRIED to stay here - it looks a lovely place as previously described - but just to be clear - this is Markus's weekend house and he lives in Guatamala city during the week. He is seldom there during the week.

You MUST contact him beforehand to make arrangements to stay there.

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We met Markus at the gas station. His parents were German, but he was borne in Guatemala. Speaks German, English and obviously Español. His property is in San Felipe right at the lake Izabal. Nice lush area with 2 houses. One the Vogel's are using if around (said it's around 1 weekend per month) the second building stands on poles over the lake which has the kitchen, one or two bedrooms (not sure as we slept in our rig), shower, bathroom and small wirlpool. Beautiful spot to sit in the open house to watch the sunrise.

Markus invited us and before we left he told us that he has thoughts of building few cabins. Might be a great idea we replied and here is the promised ad ☺.

We parked under coconut palms but there is also a grassy pit if you want sun. He would have pulled a cord to our truck but we were full of power. Dogs should be ok, as his local worker (Marios lives next door and is his general drudge) has 2. He has several boats and he or Marcos could take one out on the lake. He thinks about 10USD for the night (not sure if per person or vehicle), more if someone wants stay in a bedroom. There is plenty of space to hook up a hammock or pitch a tent. No clue what that would cost in the end. Kitchen is fully equipped. WiFi yet but if more people would come he would instantly get it ready. Shower is cold but nice refreshing, the lake in August warmer. Very nice to swim there.

The Fort of San Felipe is 5 minutes away by foot. Collectivos from there to Rio Dulce or to the Finca El Paraíso. There are also caves close by.

That should be all. If someone is interested to stay on his property drop him a mail [email protected] or call him 52020545. Most likely one would have the piece of land by oneself as the family lives in Guatemala City (maybe he would come the first times to see how things work but thats my personal opinion).
Clarify what you want and negotiate with him. We loved to chill out on the couches and watch the lake.

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